This invention is concerned with 6-(1-piperazinyl)quinoxaline and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which demonstrate serotoninmimetic activity and hence are useful as anorectic, antidepressant, analgesic and hypnotic agents.
Several piperazinyl heterocycles are known in the art, for example, 2-(1-piperazinyl)quinoxalines (British Pat. No. 1,440,722); 4-(1-piperazinyl)quinazolines (U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,182); 2-(1-piperazinyl)quinolines (Rodriquez et al., European Journal of Pharmacology 24, 164-171 (1973); 4-(1-piperazinyl)cinnolines (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,265,693 and 3,272,818); and 2-(1-piperazinyl)pyrazines (Belgian Pat. No. 840,904). With this invention there is provided 6-(1-piperazinyl)quinoxaline with serotoninmimetic properties which exhibits anorectic antidepressant, analgesic and hypnotic activity. There is also provided a process for preparing the novel compound, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the novel compound, and a method of treatment comprising the administration of such compound and compositions.